Angler of Interest - Rudy Tsukada |
Written by Jon Shein |
Saturday, 21 January 2012 08:22 |
Rudy Tsukada is a regular on the KFM forums. He's up in Alaska and we enjoy his posts. He's a relative new comer to the kayak fishing scene but he's in a terrific place. Rudy hits the water with an arsenal of equipment including a whole bunch of GoPro cameras.
1) When did you start kayak fishing? My first kayak adventure was in 2008. I borrowed a no name sit on top when I lived in Western Washington. I used it to catch rockfish and small lingcod near the jetties off Westport. I was hooked immediately but my work schedule only allowed for a half dozen trips. I should also point out that despite the name of my blog’s address, I am not a guide. 2) What was your first kayak and what species of fish did you catch first? The first kayak I ever fished from was a borrowed “no brand” kayak. Apparently it was a $150 Big Box store special. I caught black rockfish and small lings near Westport, WA. The first “real” kayak I fished from of my own was a mini-x which that I purchased after a two year hiatus due to a move back to Alaska. I got it off of Craigslist. Although I was told, after the fact by many that a mini-x was a kayak that should strictly be used in small bodies of water like lakes and ponds, my complete ignorance proved to be my "ace in the hole." 3) What kayak(s) are you presently using now? My main kayak is a Hobie Outback. My river and small lake kayak is my Malibu Mini-X. 4) Where do you do most of your fishing and what species do you target the most? Saltwater Salmon in south central Alaska is my target of choice currently. 5) What’s your most unusual catch? Spot shrimp from 500 ft down.
6) Would you tell us about one or more of your most memorable kayak fishing experiences? Anxious to try my Mini-X in Alaska, I launched out of Whittier, AK in late March of this year. I caught a very small rockfish. In the rockfish's mouth was a shrimp antenna sticking out. Of course my mind raced to figure out how I could pull shrimp pots from 500ft. I was successful in mounting a full size downrigger that did a great job. To date my most memorable kayak fishing foray was with a friend I took out fishing. She had lived in Alaska all her life but had never caught a king salmon. First we rented an Aire Tiger inflatable kayak for her and she enjoyed it so much that she purchased a sit on top the next week. She and I, along with two other kayakers entered the 17th annual Anchor Point Calcutta King derby. The four of us were the first kayak entries ever in the derby! Rudy’s equipment list: Hobie Outback with turbo fins and Sailing rudder Malibu Mini-x Kokatat Supernova semi drysuit Hummingbird 160 depthfinder Folbe and Scottie rod holders Yakattack Visicarbon Pro Penn Fathommaster Downrigger |
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